form autosport is the following --->> Renault boss Flavio Briatore believes the time for teams doing a deal with the FIA over future rules has now passed. With members of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) scheduled to get together later this week to discuss the next step in their plans for a breakaway series, Briatore is adamant that the only thing on their mind is getting the new championship ready. "We have tried to compromise, we have opened the door, we have tried everything," he said. "We have had the door closed in our face. The agreement has not been done by FOTA; it has been done by the manufacturers. All the ACEA people. "Maybe the people aren't doing business, like somebody said, but the ACEA people are very firm, and this is their position, as simple as that." FOTA is expected to get together on Thursday, the day after the FIA's World Motor Sport Council meets - and when potentially news about whether or not Max Mosley will stand for re-election in October could be made public. Although confirmation that Mosley will see through with his plan to step down has been viewed by some members of FOTA as vital if they are going to consider progressing with a deal with the FIA, Briatore says that the outcome on Wednesday will not sway the body's position. "I don't know. I've no idea," he said when asked if what happens on Wednesday would change anything regarding the breakaway. "I don't think the World Council will change anything regarding the FOTA teams." Briatore has also expressed his disappointment over Mosley's comments about him at the weekend - where he was accused to trying to become the new Bernie Ecclestone. "Max is going personal all the time," said Briatore. "I'm too much of a gentleman to go personal. If he wants to go personal, I have a lot to say about Max. I know. He needs to stop insulting people." When asked about comments from Mosley that he was a 'loony' Briatore responded: "I don't want to personally describe what Max is because in his private life we have already had a demonstration of what he was in the News of the World. "If he is talking about lunatics and stuff like that, he needs to watch himself, to just do the best job possible for him, the teams and not go personal, insulting me, the people from FOTA, the people from ACEA. "It's enough. If there is somebody who needs to be very quiet in their personal life, it's him because for sure he is not a [good] example, to be president with what he has in his personal life. "He needs to stop making it personal all the time." And Briatore has also played down suggestions that he is planning on helping run the FOTA series. "I see myself exactly like I am. I am in FOTA. I believe in FOTA - I was one of the first to believe in FOTA," he said. "I believe FOTA is strong, we want a championship with the best teams in the world, the best drivers in the world, and want the people in F1 who have the knowledge of being in F1, not GP3 or GP4. "We want real teams, not empty boxes. We are very curious because Friday was the deadline to announce the teams for the FIA 2010 championship. "It was very hard for us to really be ready for Friday. This was supposed to be the day for the list of the new teams in Formula 1. I don't see this list. I am very curious to see this list."
Mosley had his chance. Than he blew it. He got a second chance, and sure enough, he blew that too. Now he is the only one in the world that thinks he has a third chance. Let's see him present that FIA entry list without the eight FOTA teams. Should give us a giggle or two.
i hate max a lot more than i hate bernie. i hope f1 dies here and a new sport is born of good manufacturers racing with unlimited budgets and no contraints
Briatore confirmed his retirement from the sport for the end of 2010. How nice of him to leave that mess behind: You know the F-None series by the FIA and the pirate series, that will only exist on press releases.
I'm really excited at the idea of FOTA creating more of a true pinnacle of motorsport. How 'bout no KERS, no 8 engines per season, etc. In fact, it should be up to the manus to build the best engines they can----if yours can rev to 22,000 rpm and survive at least one race, then good for you!!!
Flav is just upping the pressure on the FIA to remove Max. He will need a job when Renault pulls the plug.
I doubt it. Even if it was 6, it's the 6 that matter.... Williams matters somewhat, Force India doesn't. If there are new teams coming in, based on today's situation, do they want to sign up for F1 through the FIA? I doubt it. Easy to say Toyota and Renault may leave.... yes, and Prodrive and Lola may arrive... and the FOTA guys will unquestionably have many issues (that may have caused them to re-think their participation) dealt with under their own ruleset.
Watching Windsor this weekend I got the impression that he was having second thoughts about his team's alignment with the FIA. BTW Montreal organizers talking with Bernie say they want a GP but only with the big name teams.
If the FOTA has this so nailed down they need to show more signs that it is. How about a definite name for the breakaway series for starters? At least start laying the foundation more. .02.
I hope you're right. I'd love nothing more than the FOTA series as they're selling it right now. I'm just very doubtful. + 1,000 I can print a press release and a fantasy wish list of 20 tracks. No problem. Action speaks much louder than words.
I think you underestimate the value of manufacturer name association. CART/IRL were privateer teams running a spec series. The "names" that keep coming up are "Andretti". NASCAR is also a spec series --- BUT they put "pretend" bodywork on the car and associate the cars with a manufacturer. Then the fans can say -- "Look, Bo: just like the Chevy Monte Carlo in my driveway". (There's actually a Monte Carlo done up in NASCAR stickers running around the Xtal City area in DC metro.) We all know that Ferrari's F1 machines have no common parts with a 575 or 433 -- but we're following the manufacturer name. (And people keep sticking SF shields on their street Ferraris.) When Max/Bernie tried to build a break-away series in '81, it was *WITHOUT* the name teams. F1+Ferrari (+Renault in the turbo era) > Brabham+WFMS. This is a different situation: the "new series" has all the names the fans relate to: Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Renault, BMW, Toyota. FOM has Williams, Force India, USF1 (who?), and some other rookie teams --- all privateers. Everybody (including Monaco) knows where the fans will go. Indications are that FOTA is waiting for the Wed FIA meeting before signing any contracts. My fear is that FOTA will let Bernie will buy them off with dropping the budget cap ... and with Max's head. But that, by itself, won't stop the trend to make F1 a spec series without the race-to-race innovation that made F1 the "pinnacle of motorsports". And that will just lose more of the name manufacturers. FOM has been taking F1 toward a privateer spec series, just like CART/IRL. FOM is carving up the goose that lays the gold eggs. That has to stop. If it takes a replacement series to accomplish that, then so be it. From my viewpoint, it's FOTA that's trying to preserve what made F1 the premiere racing series. FOM is just chasing the fast cash, regardless where it leads. (And isn't that the kind of thing that created, say, the bad paper loan bubble that recently imploded?)
